WASHINGTON - Financial activity by political action committees (PACs) increased
substantially during the 1999-2000 election cycle when compared to the 1997-98 cycle,
according to figures compiled by the Federal Election Commission. From January 1, 1999,
through December 31, 2000, PACs raised $604.9 million, up 20% over 1997-98, and spent
$579.4 million, an increase of 23%. Cash on hand as of December 31, 2000, for the 4,499
PACs totalled $153.6 million.

PAC contributions to federal candidates for the 1999-2000 cycle totalled $259.8
million, up 17% from 1997-98. Most of the money - $247.9 million - was given to candidates
seeking election in 2000. The remaining $11.9 million went to candidates running for
office in future years, or to debt retirement for candidates in past cycles. The following
table summarizes PAC contributions from 1977 through 2000:

PAC
CONTRIBUTIONS

99-2000

97-98

95-96

93-94

91-92

89-90

87-88

85-86

83-84

81-82

79-80

77-78

All Federal
Candidates

$259.8

$219.9

$217.8

$189.6

$188.9

$159.1

$159.2

$139.8

$113.0

$87.6

$60.2

$35.2

Current Candidates

$247.9

$206.8

$203.9

$179.6

$179.4

$149.7

$151.1

$132.7

$105.3

$83.6

$55.2

$34.1

Senate

$51.9

$48.1

$45.6

$47.2

$51.2

$41.2

$45.7

$45.3

$29.7

$22.5

$17.3

$9.7

House

$193.4

$158.7

$155.8

$132.4

$127.4

$108.5

$102.2

$87.4

$75.7

$61.1

$37.9

$24.4

Incumbents continued to receive most of the PAC contributions as they
have in previous elections. The following table shows the distribution of contributions
according to incumbents, challengers, and open seat races over eight election cycles.

1999-2000

1997-98

1995-96

1993-94

1991-92

1989-90

1987-88

1985-86

Incumbents

$195.4

75%

$170.9

78%

$146.4

67%

$137.2

72%

$135.3

72%

$125.8

79%

$118.2

74%

$96.2

69%

Challengers

$27.5

11%

$22.1

10%

$31.6

15%

$19.0

10%

$22.9

12%

$16.2

10%

$18.9

12%

$19.9

14%

Open Seats

$36.9

14%

$27.0

12%

$39.8

18%

$33.4

18%

$30.7

16%

$17.1

11%

$22.2

14%

$23.8

17%

House candidates received $195.9 million from PACs, up 21% from the
previous cycle while Senate candidates received $61.3 million, an increase of 6%.
Republican congressional candidates received $136.2 million, an increase of 17% from the
previous cycle, while Democrats received $123.1 million, up 19%. The following chart
provides

PAC contributions and percentages by political party over several election cycles (in
millions of dollars).

1999-2000

1997-98

1995-96

1993-94

1991-92

1989-90

1987-88

SENATE

DEMOCRAT

$23.9

39%

$20.7

43%

$16.6

36%

$23.9

51%

$29.0

57%

$20.2

49%

$24.2

53%

REPUBLICAN

$37.4

61%

$27.3

57%

$29.0

64%

$23.2

49%

$22.2

43%

$21.0

51%

$21.5

47%

HOUSE

DEMOCRAT

$99.2

51%

$77.6

49%

$77.3

50%

$88.2

67%

$85.4

67%

$72.2

67%

$67.4

66%

REPUBLICAN

$96.2

49%

$80.7

51%

$77.7

50%

$43.9

33%

$41.7

33%

$36.2

33%

$34.7

34%

In addition to the $259.8 million in contributions, PACs made $21
million in independent expenditures for and against candidates. Of this, $16.5 million was
spent on behalf of various candidates and $4.5 million was spent against them.

The following pages provide data on PAC financial activity for the 1999-2000 election
cycle and comparable summary statistics for several previous election cycles. Other tables
show the distribution of PACs by total amount spent and total contributed to candidates.
Rankings of the "Top 50" PACs in various categories, such as money raised and
spent are also included.

This release and accompanying statistics can be found on FECs webpage at
www.fec.gov under News Releases or Campaign Finance Reports and Data.

Links to Tables in Both HTML and EXCEL (requires Microsoft Excel)
formats: